In a rough frontier settlement, the Bantons—Abel Banton and his four sons, Coy Banton, Ethan, Johnny Banton, and Martin Banton—pull off a bold raid on a local pay office, leaving several workers dead and the town shaken. The act sets off a tense chase, as Coy is tracked back to their camp and taken away by the steadfast policeman Wyntors. Back in town, Wyntors is killed during a failed rescue attempt that pits him against two of the Bantons. A mysterious figure named Tarzan then appears and, in a decisive clash, kills Ethan Banton, sending the other brothers into a perilous scramble.
Tarzan decides to escort Coy to Kairobi to claim a $5000 reward, intending to use the money to help Wyntors’ widow. Yet the people of Mantu—suspecting the Bantons nor Tarzan’s motives—offer little to no aid. The fragile plan is further derailed when the Bantons ambush the boat Tarzan is counting on, forcing the passengers into the water and destroying the vessel. The river crossing ends in chaos, and Tarzan’s effort to move Coy toward safety becomes a pursuit through hostile terrain.
That night, Tarzan gathers the survivors of the boat and proposes an overland trek to Kairobi. He welcomes from the wreckage the boat’s mate, Tate, along with a small caravan that includes a boastful businessman named Ames and his wife, Fay; another man named Conway; and a young woman named Lori. Each person carries his or her own reasons for wanting to reach Kairobi, but Tarzan warns that the jungle will test them all with its dangers and hardships. The Bantons press after the party, threatening anyone who would aid Tarzan, and the journey becomes a test of nerve, stamina, and trust. The group presses on, pausing only to witness a tragic moment when the Bantons shoot the doctor, Dr. Blake, who has shared the information they seek.
Within the expedition, Coy uses Fay Ames to his advantage, exploiting her disdain for her husband’s racism in the hope of leveraging later gains. The caravan faces a brutal test when they’re captured by native people who threaten Coy’s life, angered by the Bantons’ earlier raid. However, the chief’s wife is delivering a child in a difficult breach birth, and Conway—a doctor by trade—helps deliver the baby. Moved by Conway’s aid, the chief agrees to release the travelers, sparing them a crushing fate.
Coy seizes a fleeting opportunity and escapes, while Tate is shot and dies from his wounds. Tarzan captures Coy once more and hides them both in a quicksand pit as the Bantons scatter in search of them. Lori, meanwhile, is caught by Johnny Banton, who attempts to assault her, but Tarzan arrives in time to intervene. After a tense struggle, Johnny falls, killed by a rifle shot and swept into a nearby stream. The losses mount, and Martin Banton, observing his father’s legacy of theft and murder, finally breaks away from him.
Coy’s manipulative ploys appear to pay off when Fay Ames releases him while the others sleep, and the two make a desperate escape together. Tarzan pursues and eventually discovers Fay’s scarf, a sign that Coy has abandoned her in the jungle. Tarzan later confronts Coy and Abel Banton in a roving, brutal engagement that moves across rocks, sand, and a reservoir of water. A ricochet from Coy’s rifle kills Abel, sealing a personal vendetta in a violent climax. The confrontation widens into a protracted battle, but Tarzan ultimately defeats Coy, leaving him unconscious.
In the aftermath, Tarzan, aided by Ames, Lori, and Conway, escorts Coy to the border where the Kairobi police await. The rescue marks the end of a dangerous chase, with Tarzan arranging that Wyntors’ widow receive the reward money—ensuring that justice, in a hard-won sense, is delivered even as the jungle slowly reclaims the path to peace.
